The Breedlove Readers Book Club Gears Up for Spring 2023 Series
Applications are now open for the spring 2023 edition of The Breedlove Readers, a book club that encourages middle and high school girls throughout Central New York to celebrate Black girl stories through reading, writing and creating.
The club is run by Courtney Mauldin, assistant professor of educational leadership in the School of Education, and is getting ready to welcome its fifth cohort of teenagers who are fans of young adult fiction.
The deadline to sign up for the Spring 2023 series is Feb. 25. The club meets in the Southside Communications Center, 2331 South Salina St. in Syracuse on the following Saturdays from 1-3 p.m.
Spring 2023 Reading List
- March 25: Meet and greet, plus discussion of “Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute,” by Talia Hibbert
- April 22: Discussion of “The Weight of Blood,” by Tiffany D. Jackson
- May 20: Discussion of “Whiteout,” by Dhonielle Clayton, et al., plus art exhibition and dance
- June 17: Discussion of “Cinderella is Dead,” by Kalynn Bayron
Space is limited to 15 participants, ages 14 to 17. Participants receive books and materials at each meeting, with the first book mailed ahead of the March 25 get-together.
The book club was formed in 2020 by Mauldin and Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race, and Justice. The club combines Mauldin’s and Haddix’s love of books with a mentorship model that also explores social, political and personal topics.
The novels selected for the spring cohort reflect an array of Black girl experiences that resonate with its young members, according to Mauldin. Topics—including body positivity, identity formation, navigating high school, community change, and social activism—are explored through dialogue, writing and creating art pieces that will be showcased in an art exhibition later in spring.
“The fall 2022 cohort of The Breedlove Readers read young adult novels from the sci-fi/fantasy, romance, and suspense genres that created space for rich dialogue among the girls and creative making of monster illustrations, shibori fabrics, and artifacts that spoke to themes in the various novels,” says Mauldin.
To learn more about The Breedlove Readers, follow the club on social media by searching for “The Breedlove Readers.” Questions can be directed to thebreedlovereaders@gmail.com, or by calling 615.852.6196.
